Thank you for writing this. It's well written, informative even for long-time fans, fascinating, addictive, and overall just fantastic. As a fan who started listening to Phish around '96 but whose first show wasn't until 1999 (I turned 18 that year), there's a lot I don't know about what was going on pre summer '99.

As a total side note, my first shows were Alpine Valley and Deer Creek '99. After that first night in Deer Creek, I knew I'd be seeing these guys again, as much as possible. I've been an ardent fan ever since, to say the least.

For me, and I'm sure for a lot of other fans who showed up at/around the same time as me, this essay fills in some gaps in knowledge, cultivates a greater breadth of understanding of the band and their growth/evolution during that time period, and ultimately helps to form a deeper, more nuanced appreciation of the what the band has done and continues to do.
Thanks again for sharing this. Excellent!